Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish football team have officially picked up one of the country’s top recruits. Jaylon Smith, an outsider linebacker from Indiana, has officially committed to Notre Dame for 2013.

On February 6, the official Notre Dame Football Twitter account (@NDFootball) tweeted: “And Jaylon Smith joins the class. Welcome to @NotreDame #GoIrish #SigningDayND” along with a picture of Smith.

Smith had verbally committed to Notre Dame back in June after an impressive high school career at Bishop Luers High School where he led his team to the Indiana State Championships, and was named Indiana’s Mr. Football.

ESPN, Rivals, Scout, and 24/7 all ranked Smith five stars. Rivals, Scout and 24/7 had Smith top-ranked outside linebacker prospect in the nation, while ESPN had Smith in second. Rivals and Scout rate Smith as the nation's overall third prospect, while 24/7 ranks him fifth and ESPN seventh.

Smith was a hot commodity and recruited by many of the top programs in the country, including BCS champions Alabama, as well as Ohio State, Florida, Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas A&M, and Tennessee, as well as virtually all of the Big Ten. USC and Oklahoma also extended scholarship offers.

Smith officially committed to Notre Dame, only 90 miles away from his hometown, without having ever visited the campus.

Jim Miesle for One Foot Down wrote of Smith back in June, “He is the highest rated LB recruit for the Irish since Manti Te'o and I expect he will have a similar career trajectory. He may not start from Day 1, but will see the field early and often as a freshman.”